Surface projectile game with changeable targets



M. BURK Feb. 1, 1966 3,232,619

SURFACE PROJECTILE GAME WITH CHANGEABLE TARGETS INVENTOR. M51. w/v.Bt/RK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 18,

Feb. 1, 1966 BURK 3,232,619

SURFACE PROJEC'IILE GAME WITH CHANGEABLE TARGETS Filed July 18, 1963 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVETOR. [/42 V/A/ Bu/ew 3,23Z,hl.9 Patented Feb. I, 19663,232,639 SURFACE GAEIE WITH (IHANGFEAEL TARGETS Melvin Bush, il resdenAva, Akron 19, Ghio Filed duly 13, B53, Ser. No. 2%,978- Elaims. (III.273=123) This invention relates to a game for amusement, and inparticular relates to a multiple game apparatus for indoor or outdooruse.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved walk-on type ofgame by which a number of persons may play a wide variety of selectivegames within a relatively small play area.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game of the characterdescribed having improved means for quickly and easily converting theplay area to have different play characteristics for different games.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following briefdescription and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a game board embodying the features ofthe invention, and including a plurality of open cups, as for playinggolf type games.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-section on the same scale, takensubstantially on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-section taken substantially onthe line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical cross-section taken substantially onthe line 44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of a putter type club or impact device foruse in playing games either with balls or slidable playing pieces.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical cross-section through the club head, takensubstantially on the line 66 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a vertical cross-section corresponding to FIGURE 4, and onthe same scale, but showing selective conversion of the game board forgames which do not employ open cups.

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view, illustrating a disc type playing piece forplaying certain games with said cups closed.

FIGURE 9 is a vertical cross-section taken substantially on the line 9-9of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a modified form or" impacting device utilizing a disc asshown in FIGURES 8 and 9, but with a pivoted handle thereon.

FIGURE 11 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIGURE 7, but withfurther selective modifications for playing croquet type games.

FIGURE 12 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 7, but with a cup closingcover thereof inverted to present a target pin upwardly for playingsliding horseshoe or shufileboard types of games.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 4 there is illustrated a walk-on game devicespecifically in condition for playing golf putting type games, the sameincluding a game board or table 2! of wood, concrete, packed clay, orother hard materials, which may be suitably supported outdoors, on theground (see FIGURE 2), or other surface as required. The upper surface21 of the board 2% may be smoothly planar, and may have a plurality ofarcuate ball-deflecting rails 22, 22 adjacent ends 23, 23 of which arespaced apart to define equidistant, peripherally spaced, openings 24,24. Balls 25 or other playing pieces are adapted to pass outwardlythrough the openings 24 into ball retaining pockets 26 defined byU-shaped member 27. The rails 22 may have shock absorbent strips 28 ofelastic in a manner to be described later. The rails 22 may bevertically adjustably supported above the table, as by means of stems 29in the rails 22 being telescopically received in sleeves 3t) affixedthrough the table 20, and pins 31 received through selected openings insaid stems and engaging the upper ends of the respective sleeves.

For playing one golf putting type game, the table may have thereonconcentric series 33 and 34 of peripherally spaced, radially staggeredcups 35, 35, about a central ball spotting area 36, which is shownmarked by a central spot 37 and concentric circular marks 38 and 3?. Asan example, the inner said series 34 may comprise eight cups 35, whilethe outer said series 33 may comprise eight cups 335 all of the cupsbeing arranged and numbered 1 to 16 so that each player, in turn and bymeans of a golf putter (see FIGURES 5 and 6), may propel a suitable ball25 of identifiable marking from one of the closest starting spots S-1 or8-8, toward the number 1 cup. In any event, the first player playstoward cup number 1 and tries to make it in one stroke. After making thefirst cup he places his ball anywhere within the outer circle 44 of cupnumber 1 and tries to reach cup number 2 in one stroke or shot. Thisprocedure is continued until the player fails to make any nextconsecutively numbered cup in one stroke, and then he waits until theother players play likewise in rotation and starting in the same Way.Records are kept or" individual or team scores, according to strokescounted, in known manner. The game may be varied, as for example, byhaving the starting positions so that bank shots to the rails 22 arenecessary, and/or charging penalty strokes when a ball enters one of theouter pockets 26.

For said golf putting type games the putter 45 of FIG- URES 5 and 6 mayhave molded, rubber-like inserts 46, S6 removably mounted in oppositesides of the putter head, so that either side of the putter head may beused for striking the balls. For further improving the impacting actionon the balls, the inserts 46 may have closely spaced parallel slits 47defining somewhat flexible, resilient ribs 48.

Referring to FIGURE 7, in conjunction with FIGURES 1 to 4, each cup 35may have an annular enlargement defining a peripheral seat portion 49 atthe upper end or lip portion thereof, adapted reversibly to receive arigid plate 50 therein with one or other of opposite fiat sides of theplate flush with the playing surface of the board. As best shown inFIGURE 7, the upper side of the plate is plain so that by likewisecovering all of the cups the game board may be used to play a widevariety of games employing balls, as for pool or billiard type games, inwhich the balls are played into the outer pockets 27, either directly orby means of bank shots from the rails 22. For such games a plurality ofconsecutively numbered and otherwise identifiable balls may be spottedin the central spotting area 36, and broken up by a cue ball shot fromone of the starting positions 8-1 to 8-8.

Each plate 50 may have afiixed on the underside thereof an axiallyextending pin 52 the inner end of which is rounded at 53 to rest upon aconvexly rounded protuberance 54 on the bottom of the cup 35. Thus, thepin 52 may serve a double purpose of supporting the plate for rotationthereof in the seat portion 49, and alternatively for providing a pin inupright position when the plate is inverted, as will be described later.

When the plates 5% are used with the plain side up, as shown in FIGURE 7the board 20 is also suitable for many known types of games utilizingsliding discs. FIG- URES 8 and 9 illustrate a playing piece in the formof molded solid rubber disc 55 having a rounded peripheral edge 545 anda flat 57 bottomed plate clamped to the underside of the disc. The plate5:? may be of rigid plastic or metal, for example, to facilitate slidingaction of the disc on the playing surface 21.

FIGURE shows an impacting element including a disc 55a which is in allrespects like disc 55, except that an elongated handle 58 is pivoted tothe upper side of the same. By sliding the disc 55a along the playingsurface of the board 29 it is engageable with a disc 55 to propel thesame toward a selected target on the board 20.

The discs 55 shown in FIGURES 8 and 9 also may be used for golf typegames, as described above, in which case the cover plates 5% are removedfrom the cups. For this purpose the table engaging disc plates 5? aresmaller in diameter than the upper ends of the cups so as to fit withinthe same when the outer portions of the discs are supported in centeredrelation on the upper marginal portions of the cups (see chain dottedlines in FIGURE 4),

For adapting the game to use the board 26 for croquet type games, FIGURE11 shows the cup structure of FIGURE 7 with the addition of a U-shapedwire bridge 6t) removably attached to the plate Stl. The lowerportionsof the Wire bridge extend in vertical slots 61, 61 in the diametricallyopposite edge portions of the plate, to maintain the bridge upright, andthe bridge may be retained against removal from the plate by means ofinturncd terminal ends 62, 62 received in holes 63, 63 in the plate 50.With this arrangement croquet type games may be made interesting, suchas when players disc 55 hits an upright of a bridge with suiiicientforce to turn the plate Sit, either to his own advantage, or to thedisadvantage of an opponent. It is understood that for this purpose someor all of the plates Si) will be provided with said wire bridges 6%.

FIGURE 12 illustrates that by inversion of the plates of some or all ofthe cups 35, to present a plurality of pins 52 above the playing surface21, the apparatus can be used for playing horseshoe type games. For thispurpose, horseshoe shaped playing pieces 65 are urged by the putter 45,or the handled disc a, or other known impact means, toward object pins52, in numbered sequence or otherwise. The rails 22 may be utilized todeflect the horseshoes around obstacles toward the object pins;Reception ofa playing piece in one of the outer pockets 26 may be madethe basis for either adding to or recucing a players score, dependingupon preset rules of a specific horseshoe game.

The playing piece 65 is shown in FIGURE 12 as comprising an inflatedbody of elastic material, and a U-shaped wear plate of metal or otherhard material conformed and attached to the underside of said body tofacilitate sliding of the body on the playing surface. The body,however, may be of solid resilient material, such as sponge rubber orother semi-hard elastic material.

The improved game apparatus is easily adaptable as described above andotherwise for playing a large number of difierent games in substantialaccordance with known rules, or suitable rules predetermined for usewith the present invention.

Other modifications of the invention may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A game for amusement utilizing playing pieces and impacting elementsfor urging the pieces along a surface comprising: a body having an upperhorizontal playing surface of broad lateral area; rail means afiiXed onsaid body to encompass said playing area, and having buffer portionsabove the playing surface adapted to deflect the playing pieces inwardlyof the rail means; said body having a plurality of cups therein openingat said playing surface for receiving therein playing pieces impacted onthe playing surface by an impacting element; said cups having seatportions; and cover means for selective seating in said seat portionsand having opposite play sides adapted to be substantially flush withsaid playing surface when the respective cups are not in use as such; atleast one said cover means being selectively reversible in therespective said seat means and having oppositely disposed to said playsides different play characteristics adapted to be presented upwardlyaccording to the se lected seating position of the cover; said playcharacteristics on one side of the cover means including a target pintnereon adapted in one seated position of the cover means to extendupright above said playing surface, and adapted in the reversed seatedposition of the cover means to be concealed Within the cup.

2. A game as set forth in claim 1, wherein there is provided an archedmember and means for removably attaching the same to said cover means tobe above said playing surfacein said reversed seated position of thecover means for passage of playing pieces through the arched member.

3. A game as set forth in claim 2, said pin having a rounded end and itssaid cup having an inner portion for pivotal supporting engagement bysaid rounded end in said reversed seated position of the cover means.

4. A game for amusement utilizing playing pieces and impacting elementsfor urging the pieces along a surface comprising: a body having an upperhorizontal playing surface of broad lateral area; rail means afiixed onsaid body to encompass said playing area, and having buffer portionsabove the playing surface adapted to deflect the playing pieces inwardlyof the rail means; said body having a plurality of cups therein openingat said playing surface for receiving therein playing pieces impacted onthe playing surface by an impacting element; said cups having seatportions; and cover means for selective seating in said seat portionsand having opposite play sides adapted to be substantially flush withsaid playing surface when the respective cups are not in use as such;said cover means including a target pin thereon adapted, in one seatedposition of the cover means, to extend upright above said playingsurface, and adapted in the reversed seated position of the cover meansto be concealed within the cup. 7

5. A game as set forth in claim 4, said pin having a rounded end and itssaid cup having an inner portion for pivotal supporting engagement bysaid rounded end in said reversed seated position ofrthe cover means.

References Cited by the Examiner Hunt 2731l9 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, PrimaryExaminer.

1. A GAME FOR AMUSEMENT UTILIZING PLAYING PIECES AND IMPACTING ELEMENTSFOR URGING THE PIECES ALONG A SURFACE COMPRISING: A BODY HAVING AN UPPERHORIZONTAL PLAYING SURFACE OF BROAD LATERAL AREA; RAIL MEANS AFFIXED ONSAID BODY TO ENCOMPASS SAID PLAYING AREA, AND HAVING BUFFER PORTIONSABOVE THE PLAYING SURFACE ADAPTED TO DEFLECT THE PLAYING PIECES INWARDLYOF THE RAIL MEANS; SAID BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF CUPS THEREIN OPENINGAT SAID PLAYING SURFACE FOR RECEIVING THEREON PLAYING PIECES IMPACTED ONTHE PLAYING SURFACE BY AN IMPACTING ELEMENT; SAID CUPS HAVING SEATPORTIONS; AND COVER MEANS FOR SELECTIVE SEATING IN SAID SEAT PORTIONSAND HAVING OPPOSITE PLAY SIDES ADAPTED TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITHSAID PLAYING SURFACE WHEN THE RESPECTIVE CUPS ARE NOT IN USE AS SUCH; ATLEAST ONE SAID COVER MEANS BEING SELECTIVELY REVERSIBLE IN THERESPECTIVE SAID SEAT MEANS AND HAVING OPPOSITELY DISPOSED TO SAID PLAYSIDED DIFFERENT PLAY CHARACTERISTICS ADAPTED TO BE PRESENTED UPWARDLYACCORDING TO THE SELECTED SEATING POSITION OF THE COVER; AND PLAYCHARACTERISTICS ON ONE SIDE OF THE COVER MEANS INCLUDING A TARGET PINTHEREON ADAPTED IN ONE SEATED POSITION OF THE COVER MEANS TO EXTENDUPRIGHT ABOVE SAID PLAYING SURFACE, AND ADAPTED IN THE REVERSED SEATEDPOSITION OF THE COVER MEANS TO BE CONCEALED WITHIN THE CUP.